Fluid clutch



Oct. -l4, 1941.

c. w. HUTCHISON FLUID CLUTCH Filed Jan. 24, 1941 '2 S he ets-Shet i Attorney Oct. 14, 19.41 c. w. HUTCHISON 2,259,208

FLUID CLUTCH Filed Jan. 24, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IHHI HHHI 1 A ifomey Inventor P te ted a. 14, 1941 UNI-TED STATES PATENT OFFICE rnum cw'rcn Cedric w. notoiiison, 111 Monte, Calm, assignor of thirty-five per cent to Covina, Calif.

Robert N. Hntchison,

' Application January 24, 1941, Serial No. 31am 2 Claims. (Cl-192558) The present inventionrelates to newand useful improvements in fluid clutches for use particularly on motor vehicles although it will be understood, of course, that the device may be used-for any other purpose for which it may be found adapted and. desirable.

- The primary'object of the invention is to provide, in v,a manner as hereinafter set forth, a

clutch of.the aforementioned character which is adapted to transmit 'power from a driving member to a driven member without the use of the comparatively complicated and expensive gear arrangement in widespread use at present.

Of course, the plate 5 Is -free of the vanes I. Projecting from the end wall 2 -of the housing I and terminating in spaced relation to the removable plate 5 is a sleeve 8. Radiating from the sleeve) are vanes I.

Extending rotatably into the housing I through the plate I- is a drive shaft II.- It will be observed .that the drive shaft I I projects into the j ,sleeve I and is spaced therefrom. A hearing II p is provided between thesleeve I and the inner end portion of the drive shaft II. It may be well to here state that the housing Us for the reception of oil or other suitable fluid. A pack-. in I2 is provided on the} plate I for preventing leakage around-the drive shaft II.

Mounted on the drive shaft It, in the housing I,f is a drum I3 the annular flange portion of which extends between the vanes I and 8 and is spaced therefrom; Mounted on the interior of the drum ii are vanes It for coaction with the vanes 8. 0n the outside of the drum I! are radial vanes I! which coact with the vanes 'I.'

ing drawings wherein like characters of reference [designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein: I

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a fluid clutch constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in vertical longitudinal section through the device.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a cross sectional-view through the I driven member.-

Figure5 is a view in end elevation of the driving member.

Referring now 'to the drawings in detail, it will It is thought that the operation of the device will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, when the drum I3 rotates with the shaft II the vanes II and I throw the fluid in the housing I against the vanes I and l thiis driving said drum and shaft 3 in a manner thought to be obvious. When the shaft II is turning slowly, as when the engine of the vehicle is idling, the force with which the fluid will be thrown a'gaiiist the vanes 1 and 9 will be so slight be seen-that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a substantially cylindrical housing I of suitable metal. The housing I includes an integral, closed end' 2 which is rigidly secured on one end of a driven shaft 3. The other end of the housing I is provided with an external, aperture'd flange l and is closed by a removable plate I which is bolted at 6, to said flange.

The reference numeral designates a plurality of spaced, radial vanes or blades in the housing I on the cylindrical wall thereof, whichva'nes extend from end to end of said housing.

as to permit the driven member. to remain stationary. Of course, the load on the driven memher will determin the amount of; slippage occurring between said driven member and the driving member at a given speed of the latter. Any suitable arrangement of bearings may be provided for supporting the shafts I and II. j

I It is believed that the many advantages of a fl iid clutch constructed in accordance with the Present invention will be readily understood and although a preferred embodiment of the device is as illustrated and described, it is tolbe understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts I may be resorted towhich will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. l Whatisclaimedis: f 1. A fluid clutch comprising a driven shaft, a housing, for the reception of a fluid, flxed on said driven shaft, a drive shaft extending rotatably" ihto the housing; a drum on said drive shaft operable in the housing, vaneson the inner and outer peripheries of said drum, a sleeve in the housing rotatable therewith and spaced concentrically from the drive shaft, a bearing between said sleeve and said drive shaft, vanes radiating from the sleeve and cooperable with the inner drum vanes, and vanes on the'i'nner periphery of the housing cooperable with the g outer drum vanes. a g

2. In a fluid clutch, a rotatable fluid'housing sealed against the escape of fluid, vanes on said housing, a shaft extending into said housing and locafied concentrically of the latter, a supporting means fixed on said housing and located conceni0' and the shaft.

, vanes coacting with the second-named vanes to provide a variable drive between said housing CEDRIC W. HUTCHISON. 

